Apparatus for purifying water



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

O. S` HOWES. APPARATUS FOR PURIPYING WATBR.

No. 404.485. Patented June 4, 1889..

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

. 0. S. HOWES. v APPARATUS FOR PURIFYING WATER.

No.'404.485. Patented June 4, 1889.

v UNITED STATS PATENT OFFICE.

OTIS S. HOXVES, OF CAIRO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO HALLIDAY BROS., OF SAME PLAOE.

APPARATUS FOR PURIFYING WATER.

' SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent NO. 404,485, dated June 4, 1889.

(No model.)

To all whom it may concern- Be itknown that I, OTIs S.HOWES, of Cairo, in the county of Alexander and in the State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for. Purifying WVater; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full,'clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a plan view of my apparatus as preferably arranged for use. Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the same, and Fig. 3 is a side elevation, partly in section.

Letters of like name and kind refer to like parts inieach of the figures.

The object of` my invention is to enable water to be easily and thoroughly aerated and thereby rendered more pure and wholesoine; and to such end my said invention consists in the means employed, substantially as and for the'purpose hereinafter shown.

In the carrying of my inveution into practice I preferably employ a steam-actuated pump of usual construction, which has a cylinder A, that contains a reciprocating plunger B, and is provided upon its upper and lower sides, respectively, with an inlet-valve chamber O and outlet-valve chamber D. Near one end of the pump and connected with the inlet-valve chamber O by means of a pipe E is a hollow column or casing F, which, at its point of connection with said pipe, has a general spherical form, and from thence to its upper end has the form of a plain cylinder, as shown. The upper end of said column is inclosed by means of a cap G, that has a small central Opening g, and upon such cap is secured a spherical air-Chamber H, which is provided with an Opening h, that coincides with and forms an extension of said Opening. From the lower end of the column F a pipe I extends downward to or is adapted to be connected with a water tank or cistern or other water source or supply, not under pressure, and is provided with a Valve i, by means of which it may be closed when desired, while from one side of said end a second pipe K, also provided with a valve k, exten ds laterally outward and furnishes a means for connect- 5o ing said casing with a water-supply under pressure.

From the lower end of the casing F, at the bottom of the spherical portion f, a pipe L, corresponding in size tothe size of the pipe `I, extends upward inside of and nearly to the up- 5 5 per end of said casing, between the walls of which latter and said pipe is left an annular space f A second pipe or diaphragm M, having about one-half the height of said pipe L, is placed between thelatter and said casing, and operates to di-vide the space f' into two substantially equal spaces, the outer of which communicates with said inner space through radial openings m and m, that are provided in and through said pipe or diaphragm M.

Resting upon the upper end of the pipe or diaphragm M is an annular perforated plate or diaphragm N, which loosely fills the space f' horizontally, and is connected with a second similar plate or diaphragm N by means of two rods n and n that pass vertically through said plates or diaphragms, and' from thence extendupward to or near the upper end of the casing F.

From a point at or near the upper end of the casing F a pipe O extends'in a c'urve inward and downward with its lower open end within or near the upper end at the center of the pipe I, and upon its upper outer end has Secured a valve-chamber o, that is provided with an inward-Opening valve o', through which valve-chamber and pipe air may be drawn inward.

The Operation of the apparatus is as follows, viz: When the pump is being operated, water from either the pipe I or the pipe K passes into the lower end of the pipe L, and from thence upward over its top and thence downward between its exterior and the casing F into the supply-pipe E of said pump. At go the same time air is drawn inward through the pipe O and, escaping from the lower end of the same, meets and mingleswith the asce'nding column of water. As the body of water and air passes downward within the casin g, the action of the horizontal perforated plates or diaphragms N and N and the vertical diaphragm M causes the water and air to become so thoroughly mingled as to cause each particle of the former to have contact Ioo with the latter. In order that the air and water may be still further mixed before passing into the distributing-reservoir, a pipe P extends from theoutlet-valve Chamber D,atieaeh end of the pump, into the corresponding;` inletvalve Chamber O, and permits a small portion of Water and air to pass from the former into the latter, when, as it enters under a comparatively high pressure, said aerated water V is forced to iningle most thoroughly with the contents of said inlet-chamber, the result being that when delivered from the pump the water contains a proportion of air which equal to about one-third its bulk.

Check-valves J and p and compression or Cut-off Valves p and 1)'2, placed in .the `,pipesi P and P, enable the quantity of water passin g through to be regulated at will and the action of said pipes to be controlled.

Having thus described my inivention, what I -claim is- 1. As `an improvement in kapparatus for for the purpose shown and described.

2. As an improvement in apparatus for purifying water, the combination, with `a water-supply pipe or pipes and a forcepump, of an intermediate stand-pipe or column provided with a pipe which discharges air near the bottom thereof, and with an annular diaphragm ed Chamber in which the air and water are thoroughly mingled, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. As an improvement in apparatns for purifying water, vthe combination, with a water-supply pipe or pipes and a force-pump, of a stand-pipe or column between said watersupply pipe yvor pipes and pump, said stand- Ipipe being provided with an air-discharging pipe which opens into the lower portion thereof, and also with an annular diaphragmed Chamber in which the water and air are .tlior- `oughly mingled, and pilpes Connecting the inlet and ontlet Chambers of thesaid pump,

Vsubstantially.as and for the purposeishown .and described.

In test-imony that -I Claini the foregoing 'I have hereunto set my hand this lOth day of January, 1888. 

